Striking plate for a golf club head

ABSTRACT

A striking plate of a golf club head includes a plate body, a plurality of parallel elongate grooves formed in a surface of the plate body and each having a groove bottom, and a plurality of protrusions projecting from the groove bottom of each of the grooves and spaced apart from each other along the groove bottom.

BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION

1. Field of the Invention

The invention relates to a striking plate for a golf club head, moreparticularly to a striking plate for a golf club head having anincreased friction coefficient.

2. Description of the Related Art

Referring to FIGS. 1 and 2, a conventional golf club head 1 includes ahead body 11 and a striking plate 12 bonded to the head body 11. Thestriking plate 12 includes a plurality of parallel elongate grooves 121formed in a surface of the striking plate 12. When the striking plate 12strikes a golf ball (not shown), the elongate grooves 121 can providethe striking plate 12 with a relatively high friction coefficient so asto control the traveling direction of the stricken golf ball.

It is desirable in the art to further increase the friction coefficientof the striking plate 12 so as to further improve the directioncontrollability of the striking plate 12.

SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION

Therefore, the object of the present invention is to provide a strikingplate for a golf club head which is increased in its frictioncoefficient.

Accordingly, a striking plate of a golf club head of this inventionincludes a plate body, a plurality of parallel elongate grooves formedin a surface of the plate body and each having a groove bottom, and aplurality of protrusions projecting from the groove bottom of each ofthe grooves and spaced apart from each other along the groove bottom.

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

Other features and advantages of the present invention will becomeapparent in the following detailed description of the preferredembodiments with reference to the accompanying drawings, of which:

FIG. 1 is an exploded perspective view illustrating a conventionalstriking plate used in a golf club head;

FIG. 2 is a sectional view of the golf club head of FIG. 1;

FIG. 3 is an exploded perspective view illustrating a first preferredembodiment of a striking plate according to this invention, which isused in a golf club head;

FIG. 4 is a sectional view of the golf club head of FIG. 3;

FIGS. 5, 6, 7, 8, 9, and 10 are fragmentary schematic views illustratingvarious geometries of protrusions suitable for the first preferredembodiment;

FIG. 11 is a fragmentary sectional view illustrating a second preferredembodiment of a striking plate according to this invention, which isused in a golf club head; and

FIG. 12 is a fragmentary sectional view illustrating a third preferredembodiment of a striking plate according to this invention, which isused in a golf club head.

DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE PREFERRED EMBODIMENTS

Before the present invention is described in greater detail, it shouldbe noted that like elements are denoted by the same reference numeralsthroughout the disclosure.

Referring to FIGS. 3 and 4, the first preferred embodiment of a strikingplate 22 according to this invention is shown to be mounted on a headbody 21 so as to make a golf club head 2. The striking plate 22 includesa plate body 221, a plurality of parallel elongate first grooves 222,and a plurality of protrusions 223. The first grooves 222 are formed ina surface of the plate body 221. Each of the first grooves 222 has agroove bottom 2221. The protrusions 223 project from the groove bottom2221 of each of the first grooves 222 and are spaced apart from eachother along the groove bottom 2221. Each of the first grooves 222 has adepth larger than a height of each of the protrusions 223. Theprotrusions 223 are arranged in a row along each of the first grooves222, and each of the protrusions 223 tapers upwardly from the groovebottom 2221 of a corresponding one of the first grooves 222.

In view of the aforesaid, since the friction coefficient of the strikingsurface of the striking plate 22 can be increased by providing theprotrusions 223 in the first grooves 222 of the striking plate 22, thedirection controllability of the striking plate 221 can be improved.

Referring to FIGS. 5, 6, 7, 8, 9, and 10, it should be noted thegeometries of the protrusions 223 can be various suitable shapes, suchas a substantially rectangular cross section, a substantially circularcross section, an oval cross section, or a substantially X-shaped crosssection. It will be appreciated that the aforesaid list is notexhaustive, and that the present invention encompasses the protrusions223 having any suitable geometries.

Specifically referring to FIGS. 8 and 9, the protrusions 223 can bearranged in two rows along each of the first grooves 222, and theprotrusions 223 in one of the two rows are staggered relative to theprotrusions 223 in the other one of the two rows. Of course, theprotrusions 223 can be arranged in more than two rows along each of thefirst grooves 222.

The protrusions 223 can be formed by laser engraving or by using anengraving machine for preliminary engraving followed by laser engravingfor refining engraving.

Referring to FIG. 11, the second preferred embodiment of a strikingplate 22 according to this invention is shown to be similar to the firstpreferred embodiment except that each of the first grooves 222 furtherhas two opposite groove walls 2222. The groove bottom 2221 bridges thegroove walls 2222. Each of the groove walls 2222 has a stepped surface.Therefore, the friction coefficient of the striking surface of thestriking plate 22 can be further increased by the groove walls 2222.

Referring to FIG. 12, the third preferred embodiment of a striking plate22 according to this invention is shown to be similar to the firstpreferred embodiment except that the striking plate 22 further includesa plurality of elongate second grooves 224 formed between two adjacentones of the first grooves 222. Each of the second grooves 224 has adepth smaller than that of the first grooves 222, and has a widthsmaller than that of the first grooves 222. The friction coefficient ofthe striking surface of the striking plate 22 can also be increasedfurther by the second grooves 224.

While the present invention has been described in connection with whatare considered the most practical and preferred embodiments, it isunderstood that this invention is not limited to the disclosedembodiments but is intended to cover various arrangements includedwithin the spirit and scope of the broadest interpretation so as toencompass all such modifications and equivalent arrangements.

1. A striking plate for a golf club head, comprising: a plate body; aplurality of parallel elongate first grooves formed in a surface of saidplate body and each having a groove bottom; and a plurality ofprotrusions projecting from said groove bottom of each of said firstgrooves and spaced apart from each other along said groove bottom. 2.The striking plate as claimed in claim 1, wherein each of said firstgrooves has a depth larger than a height of each of said protrusions. 3.The striking plate as claimed in claim 1, wherein each of said firstgrooves further has two opposite groove walls, said groove bottombridging said groove walls, each of said groove walls having a steppedsurface.
 4. The striking plate as claimed in claim 1, further comprisingat least an elongate second groove formed between two adjacent ones ofsaid first grooves and having a depth smaller than that of said firstgrooves.
 5. The striking plate as claimed in claim 4, wherein saidsecond groove has a width smaller than that of said first grooves. 6.The striking plate as claimed in claim 1, wherein said protrusions arearranged in a row along each of said first grooves.
 7. The strikingplate as claimed in claim 1, wherein each of said protrusions has asubstantially rectangular cross section.
 8. The striking plate asclaimed in claim 1, wherein each of said protrusions has a substantiallycircular cross section.
 9. The striking plate as claimed in claim 1,wherein each of said protrusions has an oval cross section.
 10. Thestriking plate as claimed in claim 1, wherein each of said protrusionshas a substantially X-shaped cross section.
 11. The striking plate asclaimed in claim 1, wherein each of said protrusions tapers upwardlyfrom said groove bottom of a corresponding one of said first grooves.12. The striking plate as claimed in claim 1, wherein said protrusionsare arranged in two rows along each of said first grooves.
 13. Thestriking plate as claimed in claim 12, wherein said protrusions in oneof said two rows are staggered relative to said protrusions in the otherone of said two rows.